Adjustable roof



Nov. 17, 1925- 1,562,234 c. HOARD ADJUSTABLE ROOF I Filed May 16. 1924 Patented Nov. 17, 1925. v

PATENT OFFICE.-

UNITED STATES ADJUSTABLE ROOF.

r? Application filed May 16, 1924. Serial No. 713,726.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE HOARD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Victoria,in the county of Victoria, British Columbia, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Roofs, of which the following'is a specification.

My present invention relatesto improvements in adjustable roofs especially designed for use with silos or containers for e'nsilage and other materials.

As is well known in the .process of filling silos it is customary and necessary to have men within the silo tramping thematerial for the purpose of more compactly storing it as the silo is being filled. With the ordinary fixed roof structure in use it is impossible to fill the silo to the top thereof because of the inability of the men to remain in the silo and tramp down the material due to lack of space for the men. Because of this fact and condition the ensilage atthe top of the silo not only cannot be compacted properly, but the space at the top of the silo cannot properly be filled. Attempts have been made to utilize this space at the top of the silo by utilizing combined extensions and roofs on the silo,b',ut these roofs are expensive, and the presence of the additional roof structure adds materially to the danger from wind pressure at the top'of the silo where the leverage on the foundation is greatest.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an adjustable roof for silos which is comparatively simple in construction and inexpensive in cost of manufacture. The roof structure may be manufactured as a whole and have embodied therewiththe novel features of my invention, or the usual pyramidal form of silo roof in extensive use may with facility be converted for use according to my invention.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts in connection with the pyramidal. type of roof and the silo, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in accordance with the best mode I have thus the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View at the top of a well known type of silo showing the roof of the silohaving'my invention embodied, therewith, the'roof being shown in elevated position.

Figure 2 is a perspective viewshowinga portion of the top of the silo, a roof rafter,

and post and means forelevating the roof.

Figure 3 is a top planview showing the outer end of 'a roof rafter, and'the adj'ust able support therefor.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective viewatthe upperend of one of the posts.

Figure 5 is a diagrammaticjtopplan view ofthe silo .roof showing the silo in dotted lines. p I

The silo 1' which is shown in the drawings is of well known type and provided with a pyramidal roof 2, and the roof structure is provided with a plurality of posts indicated as3, 4, 5 and 6 which project down into the top of the silo. These posts are spaced equal distances apart around the underside of the roof. In the d-rawing'an octagonal'roof is shown, and the fourposts are spaced apart in order that they may occupy alternate corners of thesilo. In a square silo of course these posts would occupy the four corners thereof, whilein a round silo the posts would properly locate themselves in position. The posts arethus located to coact with the corners of the silo when the roof is being lowered or raised and they also form means for retaining the roof on the silo as a covering therefor.

..The pyramidal roof structure is provided with the usual radiating rafters 7 at its undersideand these rafters are utilized for se: curing the poststo the roof. At its upper end, each post is fashioned with a mortise 8 and a tenon lid and a rafter is designed to rest-on top' of the mortise, An extension 10 is designed to seat in the mortise 8'at the top of the post with the upper edges of the extension and rafter flush, the horizontally disposed extension partaking of the incli-- nation of the rafter, and aiding in supporting the top boards of the roof structure.

The extension board 10 is securely attached to the rafter and is adjustable longitudinally thereof through the use of slots 11 in the extension. A pair of bolts 12 are passed transversely through the slotted extensionand the rafter and the nuts 13 of the bolts clamp these members rigidly togather, By means of the diagonal brace 14:,

which is attached at the 'innerend of the extension and to the post, these members are reinforced and the roof structure including the depending posts, (four in number) is braced to give the required rigidity.

As will be seen in the drawings the posts are of sufficient length to extend downwardly inside the silo the required distance to insure an adequate support for the roof even after it has been elevated above the top of the silo to permit workmen to stand therepreferably by two men standing on the sil age near thetop'of the silo. Two posts, as 3 and 5, which are diametrically disposed are utilized in connection with the silo walls,

for supporting the flexible wire cable 15 which is used to elevate the roof. Each of these cables is anchored at one end to an anchoring plate 16. securely attached to the post near its lower end. From the anchoring plate 16 the cable extends upwardly and over-a pulley or block 17 loosely supported from the wall of the silo, and thence down under a pulley 18 journaled in a bracket 19 attached to the post near its lower end. *rom the pulley 1 8 the cable passes up and over a second block or pulley 2O loosely suspended from the silo wall, and the free end-ofthe-cable is-hitched around a cleat 21 attached to the silo wall. Thus the two dian'ietrically opposite posts Sand 5 are each suspended by its cable from thewalls of the silo, when the roof is elevated to accommodate the men standing on the top of the ensilage in the silo. By pulling simultaneously on both cables the men may elevate the roof the required distance-above the silo in order that. the latter may be filled to the top. 7

After the silo is filled, the cables may be released and the four posts permitted to rest upon or sink throughthe ensilage thus By utilizing the slots of the permitting the roof structure to replace itself in proper position. Regardless of the density of the ensilage as it is packed in the silo, after several days, the silage settles, leaving a space at the top thereof under the roof. Such settlement of the silage insures a subsequent lowering of the postsand roof, but if desired the posts may be pushed down into the silage to bring the roof to its original and normal position on top of the silo. In this position the posts which extend downward within the silo brace the roof and relieve it of strains from wind pressure.

It will be apparent that the roof structure may bemanufactured as a whole unit with the posts and connections forming a part thereof. Or, for use in connection with existing silosand roofs, the posts with their extensions and braces may be shipped in knock-down form to their place of use, and erected. and connected with the rafters of the roof for the purpose of forming a rigid portion thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with an adjustable roof structure having rafters, of a pair of guide posts adapted to extend into and coact with the inner walls of a silo, said posts having extensions thereon, adjustable means forsecuring said extensions to the rafters, and means in connection with said posts and silo for elevating and retaining the roof in elevated position. i i

2. The combination with a silo of polygonal cross section and an adjustable roof having radiating rafters, of a plurality of guide posts adapted to extend into and coact with the inner walls of the silo, said posts having extensions thereon, adjustable means for securing the extensions to the rafters, and means in connection with a diametrically arranged pair of said posts and the silo'fo-r elevating and retaining the roof ip elevated position.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature. 1

CLARENCE HOARD. 

